Charles a



(No Model.) Q

G. A. LIEB. BINDING POST.

No, 446,871. Patented Feb. 24,1891.

1a; WI /H8858; QHZIVAJ Z Z WM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. LIEB, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

BlNDlNG-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,871, dated February24, 1891.

Application filed September 19, 1890- Serial No. 365,499. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LIEB, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of -New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Binding-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in binding-posts for electricalapparatus; and it consists, broadly stated, in a base piece or plug forthe binding-post comprising a metallic central portion embedded in andrigidly attached to a body or mass of insulating material and one ormore binding-screws arranged one above the other, the first one'beingthreaded into the central metallic portion of the base and eachsucceeding binding-screw into the one below it, the severalbindingscrews being interchangeable.

My invention may also be used in part without the insulated plug.

My invention is an exceedingly effective and useful device, cheap inconstruction, finished in appearance, and adapted to use in a greatvariety of places in or about electrical machines or apparatus, and byits use I am enabled indefinitely to multiply connections one upon theother, because of the interchangeable nature of my binding-screws, and Ientirely do away with the insulated connectingplates heretofore incommon use, which continually give trouble and annoyance by reason oftheir splitting, warping, &c., since by myinvention I can attach thebinding-post to any part of any machine or apparatus, Whether it be woodor metal, by simply boring a hole therein and driving the baseplug, withits integral covering of insulating material, into the hole, and I canattach any number of wires to the same binding-post, thus carryingthecurrent to as many places as I desire by means of the superposedbinding-screws, and I also, if desired, can employ the superposedbinding-screws without the plug-as, for instance, when I wish to makeconnection with any conductor of electricity direct, to the switch-boardof a dynamo or telephone-station switch-board, for instance-end in thislatter use my invention is specially valuable, because, owing to theinterchangeability of my binding-screws, I can move them about upon theswitchboard, inserting them in any base-plug I desire or superposingthem upon each other to an indefinite extent, as the change ofconnections may require, and I am enabled to do this speedily andwithout interfering with the services.

In the drawings hereof the same referenceletters indicate the same partsin all figures.

Figure 1 illustrates an elevation of my invention, there being no wiresupon it, however. Fig. 2 illustrates a vertical section thereof, thebinding-screws being run back as for the reception of wires. Fig. 3illustrates an elevation of my superposed series of binding-screws usedwithout the insulated plug, partly in section. Fig. at illustrates aplan of that which is shown in Fig. 3.

There are two binding-screws only shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and three inFigs. 3 and 4 of the drawings; but itis obvious that there" may be oneonly or as many as desired, within, of course, practical limits.

A is the metallic center of the base-plug. B is a coating or body ofinsulating material molded, compressed, or otherwise formed about themetallic center. I prefer that this material should be hard rubber, butother suitable material may be employed; and I prefer to make recessesor corrugations O G in the metallic center, so that the insulatingmaterial may take a firm hold thereon and remain rigidly and permanentlyattached thereto. They are not essential, how ever; nor

is it essential that the insulating materialshould be permanentlyattached to the metallic center.

D is a threaded hole tapped into'the top of the metallic center A, andon its upper surface it is preferably flanged out laterally, so as toform a plate E, covering the upper side or edge of the insulatingmaterial.

F is one binding-screw. It is provided with a threaded spindle G, whichscrews into the hole D in the metallic part A, and a flange H and milledhead I, all as usual, and there is a threaded hole J tapped into thecenter of the head 1, into which the threaded spindle K of a secondbinding-screw L screws. This second binding-screw is provided with theusual flange M and head N, the same as the one first described, and hasin like manner a threaded hole 0 in its head, so that anotherbinding-screw may in like manner be applied to it, if desired. It willbe observed that the threaded spindles on the several bindingscrews andthe holes in their heads, respectively, and also the threaded hole inthe baseplug, are allot them of the same size. Hence any binding-screwmay be placed in any baseplug, and also an indefinite number of thebinding-screws may be superposed on top of each other. It will of coursebe understood that the wires or terminals are placed in the recesses aand Z), as usual, and clamped therein by running down the appropriatebindingserew fimly on it.

In Figs. and l I show that partof my invention which consists in thesuperposed binding-screws used without the insulated plug. X indicatesany suitable conductor of eleetricityas, for instance, a switch-board.In these figures I show the binding-screws as having hexagonal heads toadapt them to manipulation by means of a wrench.

It is obvious that the shape of the base-plug and of the binding-screwsmay be such as preferred. I ordinarily prefer to make the base-pluground, since that is ordinarily the shape of the hole into which it willbe driven; and it is also obvious that it is not absolutely essentialunder all circumstances that the base-plug should have a metalliccenter. I prefer it, however.

I claim 1. A binding-postcomprising, essentially,a base-plug having ametallic central part provided with a threaded hole and an exteriorlayer of insulating material, and a binding screw having, a threadedstem adapted to screw into the hole in the metallic part of thebase-plug, substantially as set forth.

2. A binding-post having an insulated baseplug provided with a threadedhole and a binding-screw provided with a threaded spindle adapted toscrew into the hole in the baseplug', and also a threaded hole in thecenter of its head only adapted to receive the threaded spindle ofanother binding-screw, substantially as set forth.

An interchangeable multiple binding-post comprising,essentially, aninsulated base-plug provided with a threaded hole in its upper part anda plurality of binding-screws superposed thereon,the spindle of thefirst of which enters the hole in the base-plug and the spindles ofsucceeding ones entering the threaded holes in the heads of thoseimmediately below all the spindles and all the holes being of the samesize, substantially as set forth.

l. A binding-post comprising; a plurality of binding-screws superposedupon each other, the upper one or ones having spindles which thread intoholes in the heads only of the ones below, substantially as set forth.

5. An interchangeable multiple bindingpost comprising, essentially, aplurality of binding-screws, each having a threaded spindle and athreaded hole in its head, all the spindles and all the holes being ofthe same size, substantially as set forth.

ti. A binding-screw having a threaded spindle and a threaded hole in itshead, the hole and spindle being of the same size, substantially as setforth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 12th day of Septen'iber, A. D. 1890.

CHARLES A. LIEU,

\Vitnesses:

PHILLIPS ABBo'r'r, FREDERICK SMITH.

